Expanded product suite, upgraded infrastructure, and strategic partnerships position Abu Dhabi bourse among world's top exchanges

Abu Dhabi, UAE – January 6, 2026

The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) Group, one of the world's top 20 exchanges by market capitalization, delivered a series of landmark achievements in 2025, marking both its 25th anniversary and a transformative year that solidified its position as the region's second-largest exchange, according to a statement released today.

Infrastructure Revolution Drives 400% Performance Boost

During the year, ADX established a unified structure bringing together the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, Abu Dhabi Clear (AD Clear), and Abu Dhabi Central Securities Depository (AD CSD) under the newly formed ADX Group. This strategic evolution introduced a high-performance, integrated trading, clearing, and settlement infrastructure supporting multiple asset classes - including equities, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), debt instruments, and derivatives - on a single platform.

The new trading engine boosted performance by 400%, significantly enhancing market efficiency and enabling seamless cross-market connectivity that underscores Abu Dhabi's role as a leading global investment destination.

Regional and Global Firsts

ADX achieved several historic milestones in 2025, the statement noted:

• First Arab exchange to cross-list securities from the United States, introducing two U.S.-domiciled ETFs listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) representing approximately $10 billion in assets under management

• Launched the region's first thematic ETFs, including one focused on quantum computing and another tracking companies driving global AI growth

• Listed MENA's first digital bond based on distributed ledger technology (DLT)

• Welcomed its first remote retail trading member and first general clearing member, expanding international market access

Strong Financial Performance

The ADX Group delivered robust market performance throughout 2025, according to the statement:

Key Financial Indicators:

• Total market capitalization: Exceeded AED 3.1 trillion
• Investor base: More than 1.2 million investors representing over 200 nationalities
• Listed companies' net profit: Approximately AED 140 billion in first nine months (19% year-on-year increase)
• Cash dividends distributed: AED 74 billion in 2025
• Total trading value: Exceeded AED 385 billion (12.6% year-on-year growth)
• Average daily trading value: AED 1.52 billion (12.1% increase)

Since January 2020, the ADX index has recorded sustainable growth, outperforming both the MSCI Emerging Markets Index and the FTSE Emerging Markets Index, demonstrating the exchange's depth, liquidity, and long-term appeal to global investors.

Enhanced Accessibility and Digital Integration

The ADX Group advanced investor empowerment through AI-driven solutions designed to simplify investment decisions by transforming complex disclosures into intuitive insights. Integration with TAMM, Abu Dhabi's unified government services platform, enabled more than 11 million UAE citizens, residents, and businesses to register for and access capital markets seamlessly.

Global Connectivity Expansion

Partnerships with platforms including eToro, Thndr, WIO Bank, X Cube, and Interactive Brokers strengthened international engagement, while the Tabadul platform extended ADX Group's global reach. The onboarding of two additional exchanges and signing of memorandums of understanding with peer exchanges opened new opportunities for cross-listings and multi-market access.

Financial Literacy and Education Initiatives

The ADX Group launched the "Market Intelligence Lab" at Liwa University, the second such initiative under its financial literacy program, complementing the enhanced Virtual Trading Platform, academic partnerships, and targeted financial education campaigns aimed at equipping students with practical market skills.

Attractive Dividend Culture

In December, ADX launched the FTSE ADX Dividend Stars Index, the region's first income-focused benchmark comprising 17 highly liquid stocks that distributed more than AED 52 billion to investors in 2025. These constituents accounted for over 70% of total market dividends, with an average yield of 5.28%, significantly exceeding the 1.5% to 3% range of global peers, according to the statement.

The exchange also expanded its ETF offerings, listing five new ETFs during the year and bringing the total number of listed ETFs to 20, reinforcing ADX's leadership as the largest and most active ETF market in the region.

Looking Ahead to 2026

Building on 2025's progress, the ADX Group will focus on deepening value by providing world-class digital market infrastructure to lower friction, improve transparency, and support sustainable growth, the statement indicated.

Supported by the stability of Abu Dhabi's economic vision, the strength of its sovereign wealth funds, and commitment to capital market development, the exchange plans to invest in future-ready infrastructure to lead global market evolution while ensuring market setup, regulations, governance, and post-trade capabilities meet international standards.

These priorities enable the ADX Group to expand access, foster long-term capital growth, and improve market liquidity and price discovery, marking an increasingly mature and resilient capital market.

About ADX Group:

The ADX Group is one of the world's top 20 exchanges by market capitalization, comprising the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, Abu Dhabi Clear, and Abu Dhabi Central Securities Depository. It provides integrated trading, clearing, and settlement infrastructure supporting multiple asset classes.

Keywords: Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, ADX Group, UAE capital markets, stock exchange, ETFs, market capitalization, dividends, cross-listing, digital bonds, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, emerging markets, MENA finance, Abu Dhabi economy

Source: ADX Group press release, January 6, 2026